Saturday, May 29, 2010

Hello and welcome to issue #22 of Edi's Weekend Wave. End of May is near and the end of two books is near.This week I could not spend much time for searching interesting topics. Next week will be better because I have to work from Monday to Wednesday. I'm happy that I could manage to write and post this issue. Even it is shorter than usual. I'm full of plans but I fail miserably with realization. This is sad and doesn't make me happy. Every morning of and every evening I face myself in the mirror and say: "Stop wailing! You have a job, you have a wonderful family, you find time to read and to go to gym. Sooner or later you will find time to write all the outstanding reviews. The more pressure you put on you the longer it will take to write them. Enjoy life!" And now enjoy reading ...

Edi's Guidepost

The LighthouseNews and information straight from the horse's mouth by Lighthouse keeper ediFanoB

QuotesThe member of the house of quotes and a quote himself the Keeper of the minutes ( we call him Kotm) fished for you

German proverbs, sayings and idioms Round . . . . .

The Lighthouse

Doy you know My Rifle, My Pony and Me? It is the title of a song performed by Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson in the famous western Rio Bravo starring the unforgettable John Wayne. Unbelievable, the movie hit the cinemas in the same year I was born. Before I continue writing listen to the song:

The original lyrics:My Rifle Pony and Me

Sun is sinking in the westThe cattle go down to the streamThe redwing settles in the nestIt's time for a cowboy to dream

Purple light in the canyonthat is where I long to beWith my three good companionsjust my rifle pony and me

Countless books on my pilewait for readingwhile I try to decidejust my book blog and me

Lot more books wait for buyinLot more books want to be read'round the corner they are waitin'For just my book blog and meFor just my book blog and me

I must admit that sometimes I feel like the lonely reader and/or blogger. Alone with my books and my blog. ediFanoB without books is like a cowboy without rifle and horse.

You may know or you easily detected that English is not my first language. I like English and I fancy old or unusal words. It is also interesting to see how people react when you use these kind of words - especially when you communicate with people for whom English is the first language.This week I discovered following word which was new to me: GOBBLEDYGOOK It was used in a book I read. Do you know what it means? I didn't. I had to use google. This is the Wikipedia explanation:

"Gobbledygook or gobbledegook (sometimes gobbledegoo, gobbledeegook or other forms is any text containing jargon or especially convoluted English that results in it being excessively hard to understand or even incomprehensible."

I like to get examples. And I really found a Gobbledygook generator!! Visit the site and click on Generate some gobbledygook. I did and this is the result:

Maybe I can use this site as an inspiration for my reviews.Like "The author's exploratory research points to responsive modular paradigm shifts. The story needs a more blue-sky approach to parallel modular consulting."Sounds very professional to me. Will somebody recognize the obvious absurdity?.

On Monday I will post about my reading progress and the plan for June.

Books

Dear readers, I'm the one to tell you about books - only books? What about novellas and other stuff? My name is Bona. I scour shelves, shops and the net for books. If you call me a book whore I would not gainsay you. But be aware I have my own, sometimes elusive taste.

This week we received four books which we ordered in advance.

The first one is the fifth book in the Nightrunners series: The White Road (2010) [ISBN-13: 978-0553590098] by Lynn Flewelling.

"Dissolute nobles, master spies, and the unlikeliest of heroes, Alec and Seregil have survived exile, treachery, and black magic. But the road that lies ahead is the most hazardous they've ever traveled. For with enemies on all sides, they must walk a narrow path between good and evil where one misstep might be their last.Having escaped death and slavery in Plenimar, Alec and Seregil want nothing more than to go back to their nightrunning life in Rhíminee. Instead they find themselves saddled with Sebrahn, a strange, alchemically created creature - the prophesied 'child of no woman.' Its moon-white skin and frightening powers make Sebrahn a danger to all whom Alec and Seregil come into contact with, leaving them no choice but to learn more about Sebrahn's true nature.With the help of trusted friends and Seregil's clan, the duo set out to discover the truth about this living homunculus - a journey that can lead only to danger or death. For Seregil's old nemesis Ulan í Sathil of Virèsse and Alec's own long-lost kin are after them, intent on possessing both Alec and Sebrahn. On the run and hunted, Alec and his comrades must fight against time to accomplish their most personal mission ever." [Source]

I read the first two books in the series some years ago and as far as I remember I liked them a lot.

The next one is the paperback of a steampunk novel which has been published first in 2010. Leviathan (2010) [ISBN-13: 978-1847386748] by Scott Westerfeld."It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way...taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever." [Source]As far as I remember there has been some hype around this book. Now I can build up my own mind.And additionally I show you the book trailer:

I bought the next book based on Liviu Suciu's review. Grand Central Arena (2010) [ISBN-13: 978-1439133552] by Ryk E. Spoor. Liviu classified it as a

" "space opera" in the grand old tradition - "costume" aliens, heroic and plucky humans - but with modern sensibilities and awareness of current speculations in cutting edge physics."

"It was supposed to be a simple t est flight, one that pilot Ariane Austin was on only as a last-ditch backup; intelligent, superhumanly fast automation would handle the test activation and flight of humanity's first faster-than-light vessel. But when the Sandrisson Drive activated, every automated system crashed, the nuclear reactor itself shut down, and only the reflexes and training of a racing pilot saved the test vessel Holy Grail from crashing into the impossible wall that had appeared before them, a wall which is just part of a monstrous enclosure surrounding a space twenty thousand kilometers across. With all artifical intelligences inert and their reactor dead, they had to find some other source of power to reactivate the Sandrisson Drive and-hopefully-take them home.And that was only the beginning. As Ariane, Dr. Simon Sandrisson, darkly enigmatic power engineer Marc C. DuQuesne, and the rest of the Holy Grail's crew explore the immense artifact, they discover that they are not alone; they have entered a place the alien inhabitants call "The Arena", and there is no way out without joinging one of the alien factions... or winnig recognition as a faction in their own right, playing by the Arena's rules-and by the Arena's rules, one failed challenge could mean death or worse-perhaps for the entire human race.Surrounded by aliens factions, each with its own secret plans and motivations, some wielding powers so strange as to be magical, Ariane sets out to beat the Arena at its own game. With DuQuesne's strategies, Sandrisson's genius, and her own unyielding determination, she's going to bring the Holy Grail home-even if she has to beat every faction in the Arena to do it!" [Source]

The last book for this week is the final one in the Autumn Rain trilogy. And this will not be the last time that I mention The Machinery of Light (2010) [ISBN-13: 978-0553385434] by David J. Williams."With The Machinery of Light, David J. Williams completes his furiously paced, stunningly imagined trilogy - a work of vision, beauty, and pulse-pounding futuristic action.

September 26, 2110. 10:22 GMT. Following the assassination of the American president, the generals who have seized power initiate World War Three, launching a surprise attack against the Eurasian Coalition's forces throughout the Earth-Moon system. Across the orbits, tens of thousands of particle beams and lasers blast away at one another. The goal: crush the other side's weaponry, paving the way for nuclear bombardment of the cities.As inferno becomes Armageddon, the rogue commando unit Autumn Rain embarks on one last run. Matthew Sinclair, an imprisoned spymaster, plots his escape. And his former protégé Claire Haskell, capable of hacking into both nets and minds, is realizing that all her powers may merely be playing into Sinclair's plans. For even as Claire evades the soldiers of East and West amid carnage in the lunar tunnels, the surviving members of the Rain converge upon the Moon, one step ahead of the Eurasian fleets but one step behind the mastermind who created Autumn Rain - and his terrible final secret." [Source]

No more today, I'm enervated. So many problems writing this post ......See you next week ......

Blogosphere

Hey, I'm Bona Fide. I just came back from my last foray through the blogosphere. What can you expect from me? I tell you: Everything from Art to Fart as long as there is any faint connection to books. And here is some honey from the beehive blogosphere...

Hey, it's me Fide. I'm a remote control professional. I'm that fast that I can watch two movies at the same time.But don't worry. All the stuff I present to you will be shown at normal speed.

I know that this is no movie trailer but I'm a big fan of Super Mario Galaxy and this video review from IGN explain perfectly why I must have Super Mario Galaxy 2. And I will get it. I could convince my wife to order it in advance. Now I wait impatiently...

QuotesI 'm the Keeper of the minutes. But I don't mind when you call me Kotm. No, no. I don't explain to you how to pronounce.11th of July 2010. Maybe a special for you? Anyway a special day for us. It is the release date of Super Mario Galaxy 2 in Germany AND the start of the 2010 Fifa World Coup in South Africa. What do they have in common? It is quite simple. Something round is most important for both: Planets and ball.Conclusion: a small collection of "round" quotes would be nice. By the way, the last one os one of my favorite qoutes. Here we go .....

"Computer games don't affect kids, I mean if Pac Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive music.”Marcus Brigstocke

"A round man cannot be expected to fit in a square hole right away. He must have time to modify his shape.”Mark Twain, US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910)

"You can't choose up sides on a round world.”Wayne Dyer, American motivational Speaker and Author of self-help best selling books (1940 - )

"A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.”H. L. Mencken, US editor (1880 - 1956)

"The church says the earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church”Ferdinand Magellan, Portuguese Navigator and Explorer (1480-1521)

2 comments:

Oh thanks for this wonderful wave.I am a great fan of John Wayne since I first saw him in a movie.For me he is the one and only cowboy, like Errol Flynn is the only Robin Hood.And Rio Bravo is my favorite movie.I love this song.